The Barony Of Cromar

The Barony Of Cromar

The Regality and Lordship of the Barony of Cromar, is amongst the oldest and most distinguished Baronies in Scotland.

The Barony Of Cromar, held historically within the Earls Of Mar, and then the Duke of Fife, historically held at one time in excess of 100,000 acres or 150 square miles in Scotland, between the valleys of the Dee and the Don in the district of Aberdeenshire in the Royal Deeside.

The Barony of Cromar traces its Royal Legacy Lineages from HRH Queen Victoria, through her grandchildren, The Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Fife (Alexandra Victoria Alberta Edwina Louise; née Duff ); later known as The Princess Arthur of Connaught and HRH Queen Victorias other granddaughter, HRH The Princess Patricia of Connaught.

Princess Alexandra inherited the Barony of Cromar, and other Lands and Titles from the Duchy of Fife, directly from her father the Duke of Fife.

HRH Princess Arthur of Connaught disponed the Barony of Cromar along with Mar Lodge and its Estates and all Titles and Lands held therin, to her nephew, Captain Alexander Arthur Alfonso David Maule Ramsay of Mar, the son of her husbands youngest sister, HRH Princess Patricia of Connaught.

The Ramsay Estate, then in turn, has disponed the Barony of Cromar, to the current Baron of Cromar, who has had a lifelong commitment to upholding his families advancement of Scots and English Culture, International Philanthropy, Environmental Awareness, and Global Citizenry.

The Estate

The place-name ‘Cromar’ is said to be derived from the Gaelic meaning ‘the sheepfold of Mar’. The Barony of Cromar, encompassed over 100,000 acres or 150 square miles and lies between the valleys of the Dee and the Don, with most of the Barony of Cromar within the Howe of Cromar, and historically included The Mar Lodge Estates in the Duke of Fife's and the Earls of Mar Estate holdings.

Cromar is nowadays a district of Aberdeenshire which lies in Royal Deeside, roughly half way between Braemar and Aberdeen, to the west of Aboyne. For centuries it formed part of the great historic Earldom of Mar .Including the lands of Migvie, Coldstone, Tarland, and Lumphanan, in the Royal Deeside of Scotland.

The majority of the properties are now held by the National Historic Sociaty of Scotland, with large parts of the Barony of Cromar land still held by family and private ownership.

Part of the lands belonging to the Barony Of Cromar were purchased In 1736 by William, Earl of Aberdeen and Patrick Duff of Premnay through the purchase of the encumbered estate of Drum, which included 500 acres from Cromar. Cromar House would be built in 1905 by Lord Aberdeen on ths property, and later sold to the MacRoberts in the 1930's. This would become part of the estates of the Earl's of Aberdeen, and the MacRobert family, seperate from the Duke of Fifes claims in Cromar.

A Royal Legacy

Through the Duke of Fife, and the Earls of Mar Estates, The lands and Barony of Cromar would soon be held under the Royal Legacy from HRH Queen Victoria, through her sons The King Edward VII and Prince Arthur, Grand Duke of Connaught. and there direct connections with the Duke and Duchess of Fife.

The connection would be connected directly through the Duchy of Fife, and the Barony Of Cromar, to HRH Queen Victoria and her sons King Edward VII, his daughter, HRH Princess Alexandria , ( who would inherit The Barony from her husbands estates in Fife ). who would dispone them to her nephew Captain Alexander Ramsay of Maule, the son of HRH Princess Patricia of Conaught, granddaughter of King

The Earldom of Mar, in all probability the oldest existing Scottish title, is based on the ancient Celtic province of that name dating from the first millennium. Under the Celtic system Mar was under the rule of a Mormaor which in English is translated as a High Steward.of Dinnet

Cromar which had been among the properties held by the Erskine of Mar family for generations was finally lost to them in the eighteenth century. At times during the seventeenth century it had been temporarily lost to them through settlement of debt but had always been regained. The lands were now to mainly fall into the hands of the Duff family and the Duchy of Fife, although there was some land in Cromar owned by the Earl of Aberdeen

On the death of the Duke of Fife, the estates and titles of Fife passed to his daughter, Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Fife (Alexandra Victoria Alberta Edwina Louise; née Duff; later Princess Arthur of Connaught; 17 May 1891 - 26 February 1959) who was a member of the British Royal Family, a Granddaughter of HRH Queen Victoria.

On her death the Mar Lodge and its estates and all titles therein were passed to Captain Alexander Arthur Alfonso David Maule Ramsay of Mar (21 December 1919–20 December 2000) who was the only child of HRH Princess Patricia of Connaught, who renounced her royal title and style when she married then-Captain the Hon. Alexander Ramsay in February 1919. HRH Princess Patricia of Connaught, was as well, a Grand Daughter of HRH Queen Victoria

The Hon. Captain Ramsay's mother, HRH Princess Patricia of Conaught, was the youngest child of HRH The Duke of Connaught, the third son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. in addition, The Hon. Captain Ramsay's father was the third son of the Earl of Dalhouise.

The Trustees for the estate of the late Captain Alexander Ramsay of Mar disponed the Barony of Cromar to the present Baron who continues to uphold his families traditions of Scots Culture, International Philanthropy, Environmental Awareness, and Global Citizenry.